“You won the battle yet again” – Israel Adesanya wants another chance after his shocking loss against Alex Pereira at UFC 281
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Israel Adesanya (L) against Alex Pereira at UFC 281
UFC 281, featuring Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira as the main event, was one of the best UFC PPVs of 2022. No one of the main card’s bouts went to a decision. This fact alone shows how entertaining the event was as a whole. The headliner certainly didn’t disappoint either.
As Izzy and Pereira met for the first time within an octagon, expectations were high. With both fighters putting on extremely high-caliber performances in a competitive bout, it was Izzy who was 3-1 up on most judges’ scorecards heading into the final round. However, ‘Poatan,’ did what he does best as he TKO’d Izzy with two minutes remaining to become the new middleweight champion of the world.
Now, after the loss of his perfect middleweight record and belt, Israel Adesanya has addressed the crowd over at Twitter. In a tweet, the Last Stylebender wrote, “I LOVE THIS GAME!!! Attacking Titans like this one thrills me!! Another chapter to “Poatan.” You won the battle yet again, but the war wages on! The hunter now becomes the hunted, the game’s not over. #Law15 #insetcoin #playagain #nowondertheymadesomanysawmovies”
It is safe to assume from Adesanya’s tweet that he desires an immediate rematch for his title. And that will indeed be a treat for fans. Their fight at UFC 281 showed just how much both fighters had evolved since their days at Glory. With both of them throwing strikes in a clinch and the match even features a shocking grappling exchange. Surely, a rematch would be phenomenal.
Alex Pereira is open to a rematch against Israel Adesanya
Many feel that Adesanya shouldn’t be given a rematch over Pereira given he’s already lost to “Poatan” thrice now. However, Izzy has lapped the middleweight division and the first two losses came in a kickboxing ring. This is why, currently, the only sensible matchup for the former champion is a title rematch against his bitter rival.
Alex Pereira himself confirmed his willingness to rematch Adesanya in the octagon. Answering a journalist’s question at the post-fight conference about a potential rematch, the middleweight champion said, “It doesn’t matter to me. I want to fight whoever. [UFC] chooses whoever I fight and if that’s the fight they’re going to do, I’m going to be ready.” It seems the new UFC middleweight champion is willing to fight any and all challengers for his belt.
Despite Alex’s win, it is to be noted that Israel Adesanya was only minutes away from retaining his UFC championship. In fact, Izzy rocked Poatan in the closing seconds of the first round. A rematch between the two would certainly be just as exciting as the fight at UFC 281. The rematch happening seems like a foregone conclusion, the only things left to be revealed are the where and when.
Also Read: Anthony Johnson, a man who dominated MMA across multiple weight classes
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